1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to optical fiber splices and, more particularly, to optical fiber splices adapted for installation in a panel or bulkhead.
2. Technical Background
Optical fibers are widely used in a variety of applications, including the telecommunications industry in which optical fibers are employed in telephony and data transmission. Due, at least in part, to the extremely wide bandwidth and the low noise operation provided by optical fibers, the variety of applications in which optical fibers are used is continuing to increase. For example, optical fibers no longer serve as merely a medium for long distance signal transmission, but are being increasingly routed directly to the home or, in some instances, directly to a desk or other work location.
With the ever increasing and varied use of optical fibers, it is apparent that efficient methods of coupling optical fibers, such as to other optical fibers, to a patch panel in a telephone central office or in an office building or to various remote terminals or pedestals, is required. Such panels or cabinets generally include a back-of-panel optical fiber (referred to herein as a “panel optical fiber”) and a distribution optical fiber which extends from the panel front to, for example, another panel or an optical device. In a typical arrangement, each optical fiber connected to the panel is terminated by an optical fiber connector. Coupling the connectorized optical fibers, such as through a panel or bulkhead, requires that a separate adapter be provided to optically align the optical fibers along a common optical axis and to secure the opposing optical fiber connectors. The need for multiple connectors may make this method expensive and time consuming to employ. For example, mating ends of the connectors may require that the connector ferrules and optical fibers be polished in the field prior to insertion into the adapter. Although connector manufacturers have greatly reduced field assembly issues with the development of factory-assembled, field-installable connectors which incorporate pre-polished optical fiber stubs, such methods incorporate an additional splice between the connecting optical fiber and the optical fiber stub for each connector, which may increase the attenuation of the optical signal.